Cost of baby box scheme increases by 50 per cent

Under a deal struck by ministers, the baby box policy will in fact cost £8.8 million per year, or £160 per box, for the next four yearsGetty Images

The cost of a flagship scheme to give the parent of every newborn baby in Scotland a box of useful items has spiralled by almost 50 per cent.

The SNP initially said that it would cost £6 million a year to provide the boxes, which double as a makeshift crib and include items such as clothing and bedding.

In a TV interview broadcast a fortnight ago, Mark McDonald, the childcare minister, said the boxes would cost as little as £100 each and up to £150 at most, and claimed that the government had set aside £7 million a year to pay for the initiative, inspired by a Finnish scheme in place since the 1930s.

However, under the deal struck by ministers, the policy will in…

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